Lagos – A University Lecturer and Maritime expert, Prof. Bamidele Badejo, has called on the Federal Government to create a single Federal Ministry of Transport.

Badejo, who works in the Department of Geography, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun, made the call on Saturday in a paper titled: “Overview of Transportation in National Economy’’, which was presented at a two-day retreat in Lagos.

The retreat is being organised by the House Committee on Ports, Harbour and Waterways, Federal Ministry of Transportation and its agencies.

He said that there were many constraints and challenges facing the transport industry, including overlapping legislation and legal conflicts.

Badejo frowned at proliferation of institutional agencies in the transport and other related allied transport sectors.

The lecturer talked about inadequate human capacity and resource development as well as lack of information and data base development to guide decision making process and prioritisation of programmes.

He mentioned the menace of piracy, illegal bunkering and crashes.

Badejo also noted inadequate infrastructure, superstructure and other ancillary facilities.

On way forward, he suggested intermodalism, human resource and capacity development.

Badejo said there should be a decongestion of urban traffic through multi-modality.

“There must be an improved information and data base to guide decision making process and development of transport technology capacity,’’ the News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) quotes the university lecturer as saying.

He said the main road corridors must be improved and provisions should be made for public enlightenment and education.

Badejo also suggested, “ Intensive advocacy by governments at all levels and other institutional stakeholders for functional legal reform system for
transportation.’’

“The transport sector, when properly and adequately propelled, is capable of sustaining the economic prospects of the country,’’ NAN quotes him as saying.

He said the problems of unemployment, under-employment, incidence of climate change and global warming; and food security could be addressed effectively by developing an efficient transport system for the economy.

Badejo said with this, a further boost of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) at the states and national levels could be guaranteed.

He said that apart from offering mobility for all, “transport promotes trade and commerce; accelerates urbanisation and expansion’’.

“ It promotes international relations and integration as well technology transfer,’’ NAN quotes Badejo as saying.